Absorbent articles forming a three-dimensional basin

ABSTRACT

An absorbent article, such as a diaper, comprising a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core. The absorbent layer comprises a longitudinally-extending central portion, and a first and second side portions disposed transversally outward of the central portion. The absorbent core further comprises first and second folding guides between the central portion and the side portions. The central portion and the side portions form a three-dimensional basin when the absorbent core is folded along the folding guides. The article further comprises at least one liquid management layer substantially free of superabsorbent polymer between the topsheet and the absorbent core. The liquid management layer comprises a central portion, first and second side portions, and first and second folding guides which are at least partially superposed with the folding guides of the absorbent core.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to personal hygiene absorbent articles of the typeworn in the crotch region of a wearer to absorb body exudates, inparticular but not limited to baby diapers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern diapers typically comprise an absorbent core containing a mixtureof cellulose fibers and superabsorbent polymer (“SAP”) particles asabsorbent material. Over the years, the relative amount of SAP in theabsorbent core has increased thus providing thinner absorbent cores.Absorbent articles with an absorbent core material without cellulosefibers, so called airfelt-free cores, have also been recently proposed.Absorbent cores comprising a central portion and two side portionsseparated by folding guides have also been suggested for providing animproved fit and reduced leakage.

Typically, as absorbent articles become saturated with urine, they tendto sag down in the crotch region of the wearer due to the weight of thefluid. This may cause loss of contact of the article along the thighs ofthe wearer and increase the possibility of leakages. While elastic waistbands and other elasticized parts such as barrier leg cuffs are commonlyused to maintain contact and fit, these solutions are limited andleakage can still occur, especially if the diaper was not put in placecorrectly or was displaced out of position by the wearer.

Despite the improvements suggested in the prior art, there is acontinuous need for improving dry and wet fit, wearing comfort, andfluid handling properties, including fluid acquisition and reducedleakage, of absorbent articles while keeping the cost of production aslow as possible. Furthermore, there is a need for articles that are easyto apply symmetrically on the wearer and conform to the shape of thebody. The present invention addresses these multiple requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect, the invention is directed to an absorbent articlehaving a wearer-facing side and a garment-facing side, and extending inlongitudinal direction and a transversal direction as described herein.The article comprises a topsheet on the wearer-facing side, a backsheeton the garment-facing side and an absorbent core between the topsheetand backsheet. The absorbent core comprises an absorbent material layer,which may be enclosed in a core wrap. The absorbent material layercomprises a longitudinally-extending central portion and two sideportions disposed transversally outward of the central portion. Theabsorbent core further comprises a first folding guide dividing thecentral portion and the first side portion, and a second folding guidedividing the central portion and the second side portion. The sideportions each may comprise a plurality of neighboring winglets, eachwinglet having a proximal edge relative to a folding guide and extendingoutwardly from that proximal edge. The side portions may also have amore simple shape, such as having a distal straight edge and a proximalcurved edge, or two curved edges thus forming a crescent. The centralportion and the side portions of the absorbent core form athree-dimensional basin when the absorbent core is folded along thefolding guides.

The absorbent article further comprises at least one liquid managementlayer substantially free of superabsorbent polymer, which is at leastpartially disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core. Theliquid management layer comprises a liquid management layer's centralportion, a first and second liquid management layer's side portions, anda first and second liquid management layer's folding guides between theliquid management layer's central portion and the first and secondliquid management layer's side portions respectively. The liquidmanagement layer's folding guides are at least partially superposed withthe folding guides of the absorbent core. In a second aspect, theinvention is directed to such liquid management layers, especially whenthe side portion of the liquid management layer comprise winglets thatextend outward from the liquid management layer's folding guides.

The folding guides of both layers help the article to consistently forma three-dimension basin when the article is put on the wearer. The basincan serve as a temporary receptacle for urine and as pocket forreceiving solid or semi-solid waste. This can also reduce the occurrenceof gaps between the article and the legs of the user. It can also leadto the diaper core being more (left/right) symmetric on the baby,independent on how the caregiver applies the diaper. Furthermore, thefolding guides of the at least one liquid management layer provides thatthis layer will follow the basin shape of the absorbent core when it isformed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary flattened-out article with twoliquid management layers, with some layers partially removed to bettershow the inner layers;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same article in a basinconfiguration, with the layers above the absorbent layer removed fromview;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of several layers of the articleof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4a is a schematic cross-section of the article of FIG. 1 along 4-4;

FIG. 4b is a cross-section as in FIG. 4a of a simplified article withonly one of the two liquid management layers;

FIG. 4c is a cross-section as in FIG. 4a of another simplified articlewith the other one of the two liquid management layers present;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the absorbent core of the article of FIG. 1taken in isolation;

FIG. 6 is a transversal cross-section view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the lower liquid management layer of the articleof FIG. 1 in isolation;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the upper liquid management layer of the articleof FIG. 1 in isolation;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the absorbent core, the lower liquid managementlayer and the upper liquid management layer of FIGS. 5-8 shown insuperposition;

FIG. 10a is a top view of an alternative absorbent core;

FIG. 10b is a top view of an alternative lower liquid management layer;

FIG. 10c is a top view of an alternative upper liquid management layer;

FIG. 10d shows the layer of FIGS. 10a-10c in superposition;

FIG. 11a is a top view of an alternative absorbent core with each sideportion having a distal straight edge;

FIG. 11b is a top view of an alternative lower liquid management layer;

FIG. 11c is a top view of an alternative upper liquid management layer;

FIG. 11d shows the layer of FIGS. 11a-11c in superposition;

FIG. 12a is a top view of an alternative absorbent core with its sideportions having a crescent-shape;

FIG. 12b is a top view of an alternative lower liquid management layer;

FIG. 12c is a top view of an alternative upper liquid management layer;

FIG. 12d shows the layer of FIGS. 12a-12c in superposition;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Introduction

As used herein in the specification and the claims, the term “centralportion”, “side portion”, “folding guide” and “winglets” without furtherqualification refer to these elements as part of the absorbent core,unless specified otherwise or wherein it is apparent from the contextthat these terms refer to another layer. When these terms are furtherqualified by “liquid management layer”, as in “liquid management layer'scentral portion”, they refer to these elements as part of the liquidmanagement layer.

As used herein, the terms “comprise(s)” and “comprising” are open-ended;each specifies the presence of the feature that follows, e.g. acomponent, but does not preclude the presence of other features, e.g.elements, steps, components known in the art or disclosed herein. Theseterms based on the verb “comprise” should be read as encompassing thenarrower terms “consisting essentially of” which excludes any element,step or ingredient not mentioned which materially affect the way thefeature performs its function, and the term “consisting of” whichexcludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified. Any preferred,advantageous or exemplary embodiments described below are not limitingthe scope of the claims, unless specifically indicated to do so. Thewords “typically”, “normally”, “preferably”, “advantageously”, “inparticular” and the likes also qualify features which are not intendedto limit the scope of the claims, unless specifically indicated to doso. Any feature or component described herein in relation with oneembodiment may be combined with another feature or component of anotherembodiment unless indicated otherwise.

Unless indicated otherwise, the description and claims refer to theabsorbent article, absorbent core or component thereof before use (i.e.dry, and not loaded with a fluid) and conditioned at least 24 hours at21° C.+/−2° C. and 50+/−20% Relative Humidity (RH) and in a flat stateas shown for example on FIG. 1.

The absorbent articles of the invention and their components will now bediscussed generally and with exemplary reference to the Figures and thenumerals referred to in these Figures for illustration purpose. Theseexamples are not intended to limit the scope of the claims unlessspecifically indicated.

General Description of the Absorbent Article 20

An exemplary absorbent article according to the invention is representedin FIG. 1 in the form of a baby taped diaper 20. FIG. 1 is a top planview of the wearer-facing side of the exemplary diaper, in a flat-outstate, with portions of the structure being cut-away to more clearlyshow the construction of the diaper. This diaper 20 is shown forillustration purpose only, and the invention is not limited to aspecific type of personal hygiene absorbent articles. The absorbentarticle can also be for example a pant-type article with pre-formed sideseams. The articles may be intended for babies, toddlers, but also foradult incontinence. The term “absorbent article” refers to a finishedproduct that can be directly used by the user. Unless otherwiseindicated, dimensions and areas disclosed herein apply to the article inthis flat-out configuration. If some part of the article is undertension due to elasticized elements, the article may be typicallyflattened using clamps along the periphery of the article and/or asticky surface, so that the topsheet and backsheet can be pulled taut soas to be substantially flat. Closed articles such as training pant maybe cut open along the side seams to apply them on a flat surface. Closedbelt products not having a side seam can also be cut along the sideedges.

The absorbent article 20 comprises a front edge 10, a back edge 12, andtwo longitudinally-extending side (lateral) edges 13, 14 joining thefront edge and the back edge. The front edge 10 is the edge of thearticle which is intended to be placed towards the front of the userwhen worn, and the back edge 12 is the opposite edge. The absorbentarticle is notionally divided by a longitudinal axis 80 extending fromthe front edge to the back edge of the article and dividing the articlein two substantially symmetrical halves relative to this axis, whenviewing the article from the wearer facing side in a flat outconfiguration, as exemplarily shown in FIG. 1. This axis 80 maytypically be concomitant with the longitudinal axis 80′ of the absorbentcore. The absorbent article has a length L as measured along the axis 80from the back edge to the front edge. The absorbent article can also benotionally divided by a transversal axis 90 into a front region and aback region of equal length measured on the longitudinal axis, when thearticle is in such a flat state. The article's transversal axis 90 isdefined as perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 80 and placed at halfthe length of the article. The point on the longitudinal axis 80 of thearticle placed at a distance of 0.45 of L (0.45 L) from the front edge10 of the article is referred herein as the crotch point “C”.

The absorbent article is further notionally divided in a front region36, a back region 38 and in between a crotch region 37. The front region36 is defined as the region of the article extending from the front edge10 and having a length of a third of L along the longitudinal axis 80.The back region 38 is defined as the region of article extending fromthe back edge 12 of the article and having a length of one third of Lalong the longitudinal axis 80. The crotch region 37 is the intermediateregion between the front and back regions, and also having a length of athird of L along the longitudinal axis 80.

FIG. 2 shows the same diaper in a folded configuration wherein theabsorbent core has taken a basin-shaped configuration with the winglets610-613, 620-623 forming the side walls of the basin. For a betterunderstanding, the layers above the absorbent layer have been omittedfrom this drawing. The liquid management layer(s) can follow thisbasin-shaped three-dimensional configuration when the article is put onthe wearer, as will be described further below. Also, other elements ofthe absorbent article such as the cuff, backsheet and topsheet typicallyfollow and further extend the basin shape of the absorbent core in thefolded configuration.

FIG. 3 shows some of the layers of the diaper of FIG. 1 in explodedview. The wearer-facing side of the diaper comprises a liquid permeabletopsheet 24, the garment-facing surface comprises a liquid impermeablebacksheet 25, and an absorbent core 28 is present between the topsheet24 and the backsheet 25. The article represented comprises two liquidmanagement layers: a liquid acquisition layer 52 and a liquiddistribution layer 54. However in many applications a single liquidmanagement layer will be sufficient. The absorbent article therefore hasat least one, in particular one or two, liquid management layer(s) asindicated in the claims. The liquid management layer(s) of the inventionare substantially free of superabsorbent polymer and are at leastpartially disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core. Theliquid management layer(s) of the invention, as separately illustratedin FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, further comprise a liquid management centralportion 60′, 60″, a first and second liquid management side portions61′-62′, 61″-62″, and a first and second liquid management layer'sfolding guides 261′-262′, 261″-262″ between the liquid managementlayer's central portion and the first and second liquid managementlayer's side portions respectively.

The liquid management layer's folding guides are at least partiallysuperposed with the folding guides of the absorbent core. By “generallysuperposed”, it is meant that the position and shape of the foldingguides of the liquid management layer vertically correspond to theunderlying folding guides of the absorbent layer, so that the liquidmanagement layer can readily assume the shape of the basin formed by theunderlying absorbent core when the article is put on and worn by thewearer. It is not necessary that the folding guides of the two layersare exactly superposed, and there may be for example a slighttransversal (and/or longitudinal) shift due to the unavoidable processtolerance in modern high speed making process or to take into accountthe thickness of the layers when forming the three-dimensional basin.Thus it may be acceptable that the centerlines of both folding guidesare within a distance of 10 mm or less, for example 5 mm, from eachother when considered in the plane of the article. As illustrated in thedrawings, the liquid management layer's folding guides may be superposedwith the folding guides of the absorbent core over the whole length ofthe liquid management layer's folding guides, but a lower percentage ofoverlap is also possible. For example, the liquid management layer'sfolding guides may overlap over at least 50%, 60%, 70% or more of theoverall length of the absorbent core's folding guides. In the remainingareas where there is no overlap, the liquid management layer's foldingguides may for example be off-set relative to the absorbent core'sfolding guides, or may be shorter and thus not extend to the same lengthas the absorbent's core folding guides.

The article may also comprise a pair of barrier leg cuffs 34 each havinga free standing edge 66 (as illustrated in FIG. 4) having an elasticizedsection 35, as well as gasketing cuffs 32 comprising an elasticizedcomponent 33 in the chassis of the diaper. Typical other absorbentarticle components may also be present, some of which are representedsuch as the fastening system 40-44 (however not included for pant-typediapers). The topsheet 24, the backsheet 25, the absorbent core 28 andthe other article components may be assembled in a variety of well-knownconfigurations, in particular by gluing, fusion, pressure and/orultrasonic bonding. Exemplary diaper assemblies are for examplegenerally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003, U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,274,U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,145, U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,234, U.S. Pat. No.5,580,411, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,306. The absorbent article may beadvantageously thin, in particular for baby care applications, forexample with a caliper of from 2.0 mm to 8.0 mm, in particular from 3.0mm to 6.0 mm, at the crotch point or any other point of the article, asmeasured using the Thickness Measurement Method described below. Theabsorbent article's maximal thickness as measured according to theThickness Measurement Method described herein may in particularadvantageously be no more than 8.0 mm, or no more than 6.0 mm.

The different components of the article and how they interact will nowbe discussed in more details.

Absorbent Core 28

As used herein, the term “absorbent core” refers to a component of anabsorbent article comprising an absorbent material layer, which istypically enclosed in a core wrap formed by a top layer and a bottomlayer. The absorbent core is typically an individual component which isattached directly or indirectly to other components of the article suchas a topsheet and a backsheet to form the article in a converting line.The terms “absorbent core” and “core” are herein used interchangeably.It is however not excluded that the absorbent material layer may bedirectly deposited on one or more layer(s) such as the liquid managementlayer or the backsheet without a separate core wrap, in which case thecore wrap may be at least partially formed by one of these layers.

The absorbent core comprises a layer of absorbent material thatcomprises a central portion 60, and two side portions 61, 62 disposedtransversally outward on opposite sides of the central portion, asillustrated in FIG. 5. A first folding guide 261 and a second foldingguide 262 divide the central portion from the first and second sideportions respectively. By “divide”, it is meant that the folding guideextend along the whole length of the side portion thus separating itcompletely from the central portion. As represented, the folding guidesmay be elongated areas of the absorbent core that are substantially freeof absorbent material, however it is not excluded the folding guides maybe intermittently formed. The absorbent layer, including each of thecentral portion and the side portions may be typically symmetricalrelative to the longitudinal centerline 80′ of the core.

The absorbent material of the invention typically comprises asuperabsorbent polymer. Advantageously, the absorbent material may besubstantially free of cellulosic fibers, but it is not excluded that theabsorbent material comprises higher amount of cellulose fibers, forexample up to 50% by weight of the absorbent material in the absorbentcore. The core wrap is not considered as absorbent material for thepurpose of calculating the percentage of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) inthe absorbent core. The absorbent core is typically the component withthe most absorbent capacity of all the components of the absorbentarticle, and which comprises all, or at least the majority of,superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The core may consist essentially of, orconsist of, the core wrap, the absorbent material and optionallyadhesives. The core wrap can be typically formed by one or two layers ofa nonwoven, paper or tissue material with a suitable bonding along itslongitudinal sides, and optionally also at its front end and back end,for containing the absorbent material.

The absorbent cores of the invention can be typically laid flat on aplanar surface, as exemplarily represented on FIG. 5. The absorbentcores may also be typically thin and conformable, so that they can alsobe laid on a curved surface for example a drum during the makingprocess, or stored and handled as a continuous roll of stock materialbefore being converted into an absorbent article. Unless otherwiseindicated, dimensions and areas disclosed herein apply to the core inthis flat-out configuration. The same applies to an absorbent article,as exemplarily represented in FIG. 1 as a taped diaper, in which thecore is incorporated.

The absorbent core may be relatively thin relative to its thickness, andprincipally extend in a transversal direction and a longitudinaldirection. These directions typically correspond to the transversal 80and longitudinal 90 directions respectively of the article in which thecore is incorporated. The absorbent core 28 can thus be notionallydivided by a longitudinal axis 80′ parallel to the longitudinaldirection and extending from the front edge 280 to the back edge 282 anddividing the core in two substantially symmetrical halves relative tothis axis. Similarly, a transversal axis 90′ can be defined as dividingthe core in two halves of equal length along the perpendicular directionin the plane formed by the core.

The absorbent core 28, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-6, may comprise a frontedge 280, a back edge 282 and two longitudinal side edges 284, 286joining the front edge and the back edge. The front edge of the core isthe edge intended to be placed towards the front edge of the absorbentarticle in which the core is or will be integrated. Typically the frontand back edges 280, 282 of the core may be shorter than the longitudinalside edges 284, 286 of the core. The absorbent core also comprises a topside 288 and a bottom side 290. The top side of the core is placed orintended to be placed towards the wearer-facing side (topsheet 24) ofthe article and the bottom side is the side placed or intended to beplaced towards the garment-facing side (backsheet 25) in the finishedarticle.

Core wrap 16, 16′

The core wrap may, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6,comprise a first substrate 16 on the top side 288 of the core (hereinalso referred to as top layer) and a second substrate 16′ on the bottomside 290 of the core (herein also referred to as bottom layer). The toplayer may be advantageously more hydrophilic than the bottom layer, forexample after treatment with a wetting agent as is known in the art. Thetop layer may also have smaller pores than the bottom layer in order toavoid absorbent material migrating towards the body-wearer facing sideof the article. The bottom layer may be thicker and/or have more loft toavoid pock marking, i.e. to prevent absorbent particles from the corepocking holes into the backsheet. It is however not excluded that thecore wrap may be formed for example by a single piece of nonwovenmaterial sealed along its length.

When the core wrap is made of two substrates, a C-wrap seal along eachlongitudinal side edges 284, 286 of the core may be formed as shown onFIG. 6. In such a C-wrap seal, a flap of the first substrate is foldedover the second substrate along each of the longitudinal side edges ofthe core, and this flap attached on the second substrate, for exampleusing an adhesive or fusion-bond 72, as is known in the art. The frontand back edges of the core wrap may be for example bonded flat to eachother (so-called “sandwich” bonding). Examples of such core wrapconstructions can be found in WO2014/093310. It is also possible to forma core wrap from a single piece of nonwoven material which is foldedover the superabsorbent material layer and use a small overlap to thenonwoven to itself in the longitudinal direction. The core wrap may besealed along its periphery or only along its longitudinal edges or notsealed along any edges. The central portion and the side portions of theabsorbent layer may typically not extend to the very edges of the corewrap so that sufficient core wrap material is present to provide forsuch seals.

The core wrap substrate may be any material suitable for receiving andcontaining the absorbent material. Typical substrates are in particularnonwovens, paper, tissues, films, wovens, or laminate of any of these.The core wrap may in particular be formed by a nonwoven web, such as acarded nonwoven, spunbond nonwoven (“S”) or meltblown nonwoven (“M”),and laminates of any of these. For example spunmelt polypropylenenonwovens are suitable, in particular those having a laminate web SMS,or SMMS, or SSMMS, structure, and having a basis weight range of about 5gsm to 15 gsm. Suitable materials are for example disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 7,744,576, US2011/0268932A1, US2011/0319848A1 and US2011/0250413A1.Nonwoven materials provided from synthetic fibers may be used, such asPE, PET and in particular PP. The overall shape of the core wrap may berectangular, as seen on FIG. 5, as may be relatively easily produced byunwinding the core wrap material(s) from one or two rolls with fixedwidth and cutting and optionally folding the wrap material to form theedges 280, 282, 284, 286 of the core. Other shapes for the periphery ofthe core wrap are also possible, for example following generally theshape of the absorbent layer.

As represented in FIG. 6 by the bond 70′, the top layer 16 of the corewrap may be advantageously bonded to the bottom layer 16′ through thefolding guide areas, for example by using an adhesive bond, a mechanicalbond, a fusion bond, an ultrasonic bond or any combinations of these.The folding guides may thus be advantageously areas of the core whichare substantially free of absorbent material to facilitate making thesebonds. By “substantially free” it is meant that accidental contaminationby some absorbent material such as SAP particles during the makingprocess is not excluded. These bonds can help preventing that theabsorbent material fills the areas of the folding guides prematurely,before use or during use (when the absorbent material swells). Suchbonding between the top layer and the lower layer of the core wrap hasbeen disclosed for example in WO2012/170,778 (Rosati). The core wrap mayalso be bonded in other areas, for example in areas formed by the gapsbetween the winglets, or between the side portion and the longitudinalside edges of the core. Such bonds 70″ may be for example formed by anadhesive bond, a mechanical bond, a fusion bond, an ultrasonic bond orany combinations of these. Although other type of bonds may be used, anauxiliary glue 70 may be applied to the side of the top layer and/or thebottom layer facing the absorbent layer across the width of theabsorbent core, for example by slot-coating as is known in the art andas will discussed further below, to form these bonds 70′, 70″. This mayhelp immobilizing the absorbent material according to the desiredpattern. C-wrap seals 72 may also be formed along thelongitudinally-extending side edges of the core, as shown on FIG. 6, forexample by slot-coating a glue. These bonds 70′, 70″, except for theC-wrap bonding 72, may be designed to open when the absorbent corereaches a certain amount of saturation, to release more space where theabsorbent material can expand.

Absorbent Layer's Central Portion 60

As illustrated on FIG. 5, the central portion 60 comprises a front edge,adjacent the front edge 280 of the core, a back edge adjacent the backedge 282 of the core and two longitudinal edges connecting the front andback edges. The central portion has a length L′ measured along thelongitudinal axis 80′. The central portion 60 is advantageously shaped,or in other words non-rectangular, although a rectangular shape for thecentral portion is not excluded. The central portion may have a maximumwidth W1 for example towards its front edge and/or its back edge, and aminimum width W3 in an intermediate position, as measured along thetransversal direction 90′.

The longitudinal edges of the central portion may form a first recessand a second recess respectively, in particular in an intermediateposition between the front edge and the back edge of the centralportion. The overall shape of the central portion may thus be a dog-boneor a hour-glass shape when seen from the above, as illustrated in FIG.5. The central portion may have a minimum width W3 at an intermediatelongitudinal position between the front edge and back edge of thecentral portion. The minimum width W3 of the central portion may forexample range from 10% to 80% of the maximum width W1 of the centralportion, in particular from 15% to 70% of W1, in particular from 20% to60% of W1, for example 40%. The central portion may have, asrepresented, a constant width in the areas outside the recesses, butother configurations are possible, for example the width maycontinuously expand towards the front and/or back edges of the core.Although the front edge and the back edge of the central portion may besubstantially straight, it is not excluded that these may be curved,concave or convex, or one convex and the other concave.

The central portion may be unitary, as represented, but it is notexcluded that it comprises sub-sections, for example separated byfurther transversally-orientated folding guides to provide moreflexibility in the longitudinal direction. The amount of absorbentmaterial in the central portion may be typically profiled, so that ahigher basis weight of absorbent material is disposed towards the middleof the central portion, in particular between the side portions, andtowards the front edge of the central portion, relative to the back edgeof the central portion.

Absorbent Layer's Side Portions 61, 62

The first side portion 61 and the second side portion 62 of theabsorbent layer may be typically at least partially disposed within theareas defined by the recesses formed by the intermediate tapering of thecentral portion 60. The side portions may expand transversally outwardfurther than the central portion, however this may require additionalcore wrap material on the longitudinal side to cover the overhangingside portions. Thus it may be advantageous that the side portions areentirely encompassed within the recesses formed by the central portionso as to eliminate or reduce the need for additional core wrap materialon the longitudinal sides of the core. The outward-most positions of theside portions may thus be flush with, or inwards of, thelongitudinally-extending side edges of the central portion at theirlargest width. The first and second side portions may typically besymmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis 80′ of thecore.

Winglets (610-613, 620-623)

The side portions 61, 62 may advantageously each comprise a plurality ofneighboring winglets 610-613, 620-623. However the absorbent core canalso form a three-dimensional basin with side portions not comprisingwinglets, as will be described further below in relation to FIGS. 11-12.The following will describe the winglets of the absorbent core when theyare present.

The winglets may also be described as flaps, and typically have a smallsize relative to the area of the central portion. FIG. 5 shows aclose-up view of some of the winglets on the second side portion 62.Each winglet is defined by a proximal side 6200, 6210, 6220, which isclosest to a folding guide and from which the winglet extend outward,and at least two and typically three further sides. The proximal side ofeach winglet may be directly adjacent, i.e. less than 10 mm away fromthe centerline of the closest folding guide. Each winglet may becompletely separated from the neighboring winglets, but it is notexcluded that some or all of the winglets are linked to each other by acontinuous absorbent material area proximal to the folding guide. Analternative arrangement for the winglets is shown in FIG. 10 a.

Within each side portion, the winglets are generally aligned next toanother, with their neighboring sides 6202-6211, 6213-6221 . . .separated by a gap. At least one of the gaps on each side portion may begenerally triangular or in other word wedge-shaped, when the article andcore is shown in a flattened-out state as shown on FIG. 5. For thesetriangular gaps, the width of the gaps increases with the distance fromthe proximal sides of the winglets. The angle α (alpha) formed by theneighboring sides of two neighboring winglets at their proximal sidesmay for example range of from about 5° to about 60°, in particular 10°to about 50°, for example 30°. Typically, the higher the angle, thehigher the radius of curvature can be achieved in the basinconfiguration. This angle may be the same or different for each gap.

In addition to the generally triangular gaps, at least one of the gaps(not represented) on each side portion may be have substantiallyconstant width. These gaps may be in particular generally straight, inparticular be parallel to the transversal axis, but it is also possiblethat they are straight and angled relative to the transversal axis, ornot straight but curved. The width of such gaps gap may in particularrange of from 1 mm to 8 mm, more precisely from 2 mm to 6 mm, but othervalues are possible. These constant width gaps may or may not decreasewhen the absorbent core comes into the basin configuration. Rather, theyprovide for increase flexibility of the side portions which may beuseful needed when the absorbent article is put on the wearer and thecore takes its basin shape when the article is worn on the user.

The winglets in each side portion may all have the same shape, butadvantageously they will have different shapes that are in particularadapted to the curvature of the closest folding guides. The winglets mayin particular be generally triangular, especially for the first and lastwinglets of a side portion (as winglets 610, 620, 613, 623 in FIG. 5)and generally quadrilateral for the intermediate winglets 611, 621, 612,622. Various quadrilateral shapes are possible, in particular thewinglets may be generally trapezoidal (quadrilateral with at least twosides parallel). The word “generally” as used herein means that thecorners and sides of the winglets are not necessarily geometricallyexactly forming the shape indicated, but the corners may be slightlyrounded and the sides not delimited by perfect straight lines. Asrepresented in the close-up view on FIG. 5, some or all of the wingletsmay have a distal edge 6201, 6212, 6222 parallel to the longitudinaldirection.

When the absorbent core is folded along the folding guides to form thethree-dimensional basin, the gaps between the neighboring sides of thewinglets decrease, in other words the neighboring sides become closer toanother, and may optionally contact each other. This helps formingstable side walls for the three-dimensional basin in dry and wet state.It may be advantageous to have a combination of different type ofwinglets to provide for a better folding of the side portions, inparticular the winglets may have different lengths as measured in thelongitudinal direction and/or different shape to provide an improvedside seal. The shape and number of winglets may be adapted for differentsizes of absorbent articles, and for the different stage of developmentof the wearer. Each side portion may comprise for example from 3 to 10winglets, in particular from 4 to 8 winglets.

The side portions 61, 62 may also have a more simple shape notcomprising winglets. In particular each side portion may be generallydefined by a proximal edge, which is closest to a folding guide, and adistal edge. The proximal edge closest to the folding guide maytypically be generally curved and be parallel with the folding guides.The distal edge may be straight, as illustrated in FIG. 11a or curved,in particular inwardly curved (concave towards to the longitudinal axis80), as illustrated in FIG. 12a , so that it better fits the curvatureof the thighs of the wearer. The side portions may thus be generallycrescent-shaped. When as illustrated in FIG. 11a the distal edges arestraight and longitudinally oriented rather than concave, the distaledge of each side portion may be in particular flush with the side edgesof the central layer outside the portion of the longitudinal edgedefining the recesses as represented. Such straight distal edges mayalso be placed further within the recesses than illustrated and thus notextend to the edge of the longitudinal side edges of the central layer.While having distal edges not concavely shaped may be less advantageousin terms of dry and wet fit of the article along the thighs of theusers, they may be easier to manufacture and can provide higher sideportions for the absorbent core in the basin-shaped configuration.

Absorbent Core's Folding Guides 261, 262

The central portion 60 and the first side portion 61 are separated by afirst folding guide 261, and likewise the central portion 60 and thesecond side portion 62 are separated by a second folding guide 262. Thefolding guides facilitate the folding of the absorbent core so that thecore forms a three-dimensional shape similar to a basin, as illustratedin FIG. 2, when it is placed on the wearer. The side portions of theabsorbent material layer form the side walls of the basin while thefront and back sides of the central portion are tilted upwards towardseach other. The folding guides may in particular be areas substantiallyfree of absorbent material between the central portion and the sideportions. The width of absorbent material-free areas may besubstantially constant through the folding guides or may vary, forexample the width of the material-free areas may gradually increasetowards one or both extremities of each of the folding guides. Asrepresented in FIG. 6, the top layer 16 of the core wrap may beadvantageously bonded to the bottom layer 16′ through the foldingguides. This bond 70′ may be for example an adhesive bond, a mechanicalbond, a fusion bond, an ultrasonic bond or any combinations of these,formed in the areas of the folding guides as indicated previously. Thecore wrap may also be bonded in other areas of the core, for example inthe areas or gaps between the winglets 70″, and also to form the C-wrapseals 72 along the longitudinally-extending side edges of the core, asshown on FIG. 6.

The folding guides may advantageously be curved towards the centralportion 60. The recesses along the longitudinal sides of the centralportion, the proximal edges of the side portions and the folding guidesmay generally run parallel to each other. In particular, bothextremities of each folding guides may completely extend to thelongitudinally-extending side edges of the absorbent layer, asillustrated in FIG. 5, thus separating the central portion from the sideportions along their whole length, when the article and core areconsidered in a flattened out configuration. In other words, the foldingguides are advantageously not completely surrounded by absorbentmaterial. In this way, the side portions can easily fold relative to thecentral portion to provide the upstanding side walls of the basin in thefolded basin configuration. The folding guides may be curved along asmooth curve without inflexion points, as in a couple of invertedbrackets:) (It is also possible that each of the folding guides may forma curve or a series of segments having an inflexion point at theirclosest position from each other, for example each being generally “v”shaped with a 90° rotation, thus appearing together as a pair of signbigger than and smaller than: > <.

The folding guides may be entirely continuous as illustrated in FIGS. 5and 11, but it is not excluded that the folding guides areintermittently formed, for example by a series of discrete material freeareas or embossed areas each separated by small gaps comprisingabsorbent material, as long as the discrete sections are sufficientlyclose and aligned to provide for the desired folding guide function.

The folding guides may be more generally provided by any means known inthe art, for example as disclosed in WO2006/068549A1 (Hansson) and haveany shape, in particular be straight and parallel to the longitudinaldirection 80. The folding guides may be for example grooves or channelshaving a certain width, for example from 1 mm to 20 mm, and comprisingeither no absorbent material (as illustrated in FIG. 6) or someabsorbent material at a lower basis weight than the surrounding areas ofthe absorbent layer, for example having a basis weight which is from 10%to 80%, in particular 15% to 70%, of the basis weight of the immediatelyadjacent central portion and/or side portions. A folding guide may bealso provided by embossing an absorbent material which is permanentlycompressible such as a fibrous absorbent material or foam. In this case,the folding guides may be formed by grooves having a higher degree ofcompression than the surrounding areas of the absorbent layer. It isalso known to form folding guides by slitting the material of anabsorbent layer, if the absorbent material can be slit such as somesolid foam-like absorbent material. Of course a combination of thesemeans can be used to form the folding guides. The folding guides have acenterline generally following the guides along their middle, as shownin dotted line on FIG. 5.

Absorbent Material

The absorbent layer comprises an absorbent material. The absorbentmaterial may be the same in the central portion 60 and the side portions61, 62, for simplicity of manufacture, but it is not excluded thatdifferent materials are used in the central portion and the sideportions for example. The absorbent material comprises a high proportionof superabsorbent polymer (herein abbreviated as “SAP”). The term“superabsorbent polymer” refers herein to absorbent materials, which maybe cross-linked polymeric materials, and that can absorb at least 15times their weight of an aqueous 0.9% saline solution as measured usingthe Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC) test (EDANA method WSP241.2-05E). The SAP may in particular have a CRC value of from 20 to 50g/g, or from 25 to 40 g/g. The SAP content represents at least 85% andup to 100% by weight of the absorbent material of the absorbent core.The SAP may in particular be in particulate forms (SAP particles) butother forms are also possible, such as absorbent foam or fibers. Furtherdetailed examples of absorbent material, in particular SAP are disclosedin WO2014/093310 (Ehrnsperger). In particular, the absorbent materialmay comprise or consist of SAP particles that require a time to reach anuptake of 20 g/g (T20) of less than 240 s as measured according to theK(t) test method described in WO2012/174026 (Ehrnsperger). The SAPparticles used may have a permeability at equilibrium expressed as UPM(Urine Permeability Measurement) value of at least 10×10⁻⁷ (cm³·s)/g, inparticular at least 15×10⁻⁷ (cm³·s)/g, or at least 20×10⁻⁷ (cm³·s)/g, orfrom 10 to 50×10⁻⁷ (cm³·s)/g, as measured by the test method indicatedin WO2012/174026A1.

The absorbent core may be in particular substantially free of cellulosefibers, in particular it may comprise less than 15% by weight ofcellulose fibers relative to the total weight of absorbent material, inparticular less than 10%, or less than 5% and down to 0% by weight ofcellulose fibers. The absorbent core may thus be relatively thin, inparticular thinner than conventional cores comprising cellulosic fibers.In particular, the caliper of the core (before use) as measured at thepoint corresponding to the crotch point C of the article, oradvantageously at any points of the surface of the core, may be from0.25 mm to 5.0 mm, in particular from 0.5 mm to 4.0 mm, as measuredaccording to the Thickness Measurement Method described further below.

The absorbent material layer may be continuous in the central portionand the side portions, as exemplary illustrated in FIG. 5. A continuouslayer of absorbent material may in particular be obtained by theaddition of two discontinuous absorbent sub-layers as taught inUS2008/312617 (Hundorf), the first absorbent sub-layer including a firstsubstrate and the second absorbent sub-layer including a secondsubstrate, the first and second absorbent sub-layers further includingsuperabsorbent particulate polymer material deposited on said first andsecond substrates and thermoplastic adhesive material covering theabsorbent particulate polymer material on the respective first andsecond substrates. The first and second absorbent sub-layers arecombined together such that at least a portion of said thermoplasticadhesive material of said first absorbent sub-layer contacts at least aportion of the thermoplastic adhesive material of the secondsub-absorbent layer, the resulting absorbent particulate polymermaterial layer between the first and second substrates may be thussubstantially continuously distributed across the absorbent particulatepolymer material area. It is also not excluded that the portions maycomprise a multiplicity of land areas comprising the absorbent material,with absorbent material-free junction areas in-between, as is known inthe art for example in US2008/312625 (Hundorf).

The basis weight (amount deposited per unit of surface) of the absorbentmaterial may also be varied to create a macroscopically profileddistribution of absorbent material in the longitudinal direction and/orthe transversal direction. Typically the absorbent material of the coremay be advantageously distributed in somewhat lower amount towards theback edge of the core as more absorbency is typically required towardsthe front and middle region of the core. Further detailed examples ofabsorbent material distribution that can be used herein are disclosed inWO2014/093310 (Ehrnsperger). The side portions may comprise an absorbentmaterial at a constant basis weight or may also have a profileddistribution. The central portion may typically comprise a largeroverall amount of absorbent material than the two side portionscombined, for example in a ratio ranging from 20:1 to 2:1.

The absorbent material may be deposited on a substrate to form thecentral portion and the side portions by adapting any known processesthat allow relatively precise deposition of absorbent material, inparticular SAP, advantageously at relatively high speed. The absorbentmaterial may be deposited for example using a SAP printing technology asdisclosed in US2006/024433 (Blessing), US2008/0312617 andUS2010/0051166A1 (both to Hundorf et al.). This technique uses atransfer device such as a printing roll to deposit SAP particles onto asubstrate disposed on the grid of a support (e.g. a lay-on drum). Thegrid may include a plurality of cross bars extending substantiallyparallel to and spaced from one another so as to form ribs extendingbetween the cross-bars. The SAP is deposited in the undulations of thesubstrate inside these ribs. As known in the art indicated above, twosuch SAP printing roll/laying-on drum systems working in parallel can beused to print twice a SAP layer on two substrates, the substrates beingthen assembled with the SAP layers in contact with each other thusforming a continuous layer of SAP between a top layer and a bottom layer(the core wrap). This technology allows high-speed and precisedeposition of SAP on a substrate in a desired pattern.

US2012/0312491 (Jackels) more recently discloses how raised elements onthe transfer device may collaborate with corresponding mating strips onthe support grid to provide areas free of deposited absorbent material.Such raised elements can serve to form the folding guides of theinvention. Additional raised elements can further help forming the gapsbetween the winglets. The top and bottom layers of the core wrap can bebonded together through some of these material-free areas to form thefolding guides and the gaps between the winglets. Thus a SAP printingtechnique may be advantageously used to make absorbent cores accordingto the invention. Of course it is not excluded that other manufacturingtechniques may be used, or that products are hand-made for researchpurpose for example.

Further Components of the Absorbent Core

The absorbent core may optionally comprise one or more layers of glue tohelp immobilizing the absorbent material and/or form bonds between thelayers of the core wrap, for example as disclosed in US2006/024433(Blessing), US2008/0312617 and US2010/051166A1 (both to Hundorf et al.)and US2012/0312491 (Jackels). The absorbent core may in particularcomprise at least one auxiliary glue layer 70 applied on the inner sideof the top layer 16 and/or the bottom layer 16′ of the core wrap. Theauxiliary glue may be applied directly over the substrate on which theabsorbent material is subsequently deposited, thus at least partiallyimmobilizing the absorbent material on the substrate. The auxiliary gluemay also have for function to at least partially form the core wrap bond70′ within the folding guides, in particular through the material freeareas 261, 262, and/or bonds 70″ in the gaps between the winglets andtransversally outward of the side portion. The auxiliary glue 70 mayalso help forming C-wrap bond 72 between the core wrap layers, whereas adifferent, stronger glue may be used for these bonds 72. The auxiliaryglue may also be useful to improve the adhesion of a fibrousthermoplastic adhesive material, when present, to the substrate.

The auxiliary glue material may be any hotmelt adhesive known in theart. The auxiliary glue layer may be applied on the inner surface of thetop layer 16 and/or the bottom layer 16′ of the core wrap. The auxiliaryglue may be applied directly over the substrate layer on which theabsorbent material is subsequently deposited, thus at least partiallyimmobilizing the absorbent material on the substrate. The auxiliary glueis applied over an application area of the layer. The glue applicationarea may for example cover at least the whole of the folding guides andthe side portions to provide for a bonding in these areas of the toplayer and the bottom layer. The glue application area can also beshorter than the central portion to reduce the usage of adhesivematerial, however it is not excluded that the glue application area maybe as long as or longer than the central portion.

The auxiliary glue can be applied by any adhesive applicator known inthe field, in particular bead, slot or spray nozzles. For example, asrepresented, the auxiliary glue can be applied using a slot coatingprocess as a pattern comprising a plurality of spaced-apart glue slotswhich may each extend in the longitudinal direction. The slots may forexample have a width of from 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and/or have a lateralspacing there-between of from 0.5 mm to 4 mm.

The absorbent core may also comprise a fibrous thermoplastic adhesivematerial (not shown), also known as microfibrous glue, to helpimmobilizing the absorbent material within the core wrap. The fibrousthermoplastic adhesive material may be applied, typically by spraying,over an absorbent material layer that has been discontinuously depositedon a substrate during the core making process, thus forming land andjunction areas as indicated above. The fibrous thermoplastic adhesivematerial contacts the absorbent material and the substrate layer in theabsorbent material free junction areas. This imparts an essentiallythree-dimensional net-like structure to the fibrous layer ofthermoplastic adhesive material, which in itself is essentially atwo-dimensional structure of relatively small thickness, as compared tothe dimension in length and width directions. Thereby, the fibrousthermoplastic adhesive material may provide cavities to cover theabsorbent material, and thereby immobilizes this absorbent material. Adual layer core can thus be constructed wherein the land areas of onelayer correspond to the material-free junction areas of the other layerand vice versa, resulting in continuous dual absorbent layer.

The adhesive material may advantageously help providing a highimmobilization of the absorbent material in dry and wet state. Theabsorbent core advantageously achieve an SAP loss of no more than about70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, or 10% according to the Wet ImmobilizationTest described in US2010/051166A1.

Liquid management layer(s) 52, 54

The article comprises at least one liquid management layer at leastpartially present between the topsheet and the absorbent core. Liquidmanagement layers function to quickly acquire and/or distribute thefluid away from the topsheet and into the core. These liquid managementlayers are sometimes called “wicking layer”, “surge layer”, “acquisitionlayer” or “distribution layer”. Typically, liquid management layers donot comprise SAP, as this may slow the acquisition and distribution ofthe fluid. The prior art discloses many type of liquid management layer,see for example WO2000/59430 (Daley), WO95/10996 (Richards), U.S. Pat.No. 5,700,254 (McDowall), WO02/067809 (Graef). Liquid management layersare typically placed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis ofthe article, but other configurations are possible. The liquidmanagement layers may be typically shorter at least in the longitudinaldimension and typically also in the transversal direction relative tothe absorbent material layer of the absorbent core.

Liquid management layers can improve the fluid handling properties ofthe article, in particular for those articles having no or relativelylittle cellulose fibers in the absorbent core. Cellulose fibers cantypically help acquiring and distributing the fluid within the core. Inthe present invention, where the absorbent material of the core may besubstantially free of cellulose fibers, it is thus particularlyadvantageous to have at least one liquid management layer. The inventorshave however found that conventionally shaped liquid management layermay restrict or prevent the absorbent core from forming the desiredbasin shape.

To alleviate these issues, the liquid management layer of the inventioncomprises folding guides 261′, 261″, 262′, 262″ which are at leastpartially superposed with the folding guides 261, 262 of the absorbentcore, so that the liquid management layer folds in a similar manner thanthe core when it forms the three-dimensional basin. The liquidmanagement layer thus comprises a central portion, (also referred hereinas “liquid management layer's central portion”), a first and a secondside portions (also referred herein as “liquid management layer's firstand second side portions”), and a first and a second folding guides(also referred herein as “liquid management layer's folding guides”)between the liquid management central portion and the first and secondliquid management side portions respectively.

The articles of the invention comprise at least one liquid managementlayer between the topsheet and the absorbent core. When two or moreliquid management layers are present, these may form a unitary layer orremain discrete layers, which may be loosely attached to each other. Thearticle may in particular comprise two liquid management layers: anacquisition layer 52 directly under the topsheet and a distributionlayer 54 between the acquisition layer and the absorbent core, asillustrated in FIG. 4a . Such dual layer liquid management layers arefor example disclosed in further details in WO2014/093323 (Bianchi) witha distribution layer comprising cross-linked cellulosic fibers and theacquisition layer a carded, resin-bonded nonwoven. The invention ishowever not restricted to this example having two liquid managementlayers. The majority of articles have in particular for cost reason onlyone liquid management layer. FIG. 4b for example shows such an absorbentarticle comprising only an acquisition layer 52. FIG. 4c shows anotherexample of absorbent article comprising only a distribution layer 54.

The liquid management layer's side portions may also comprise winglets,as will be discussed below in relation to the illustrated embodiments ofFIGS. 7-8. If winglets are present in the side portions of the liquidmanagement layer, these may be constructed in a similar or sameconfiguration as the winglets of the underlying absorbent core,including the shape of the winglets and the gaps between the winglets.However, it is also considered that when more simple constructions aredesired, the liquid management layer's side portions may also compriseno or different winglets. The liquid management layer's side portionsmay thus also each be comprised of a single piece of liquid managementmaterial delimited by a distal straight line and proximal curve, or twocurves, which may in particular form crescent-shaped side portions, asindicated for the absorbent core.

The article may also comprise a further liquid management layer thatdoes not have folding guides. Some liquid management layers are made ofmaterial relatively flexible and bendable so that they do not prevent toa substantial extent the underlying absorbent core from folding in thebasin shape, and thus it is also not excluded that a liquid managementlayer may be present that do not need to be according the first orsecond aspect indicated above. A further liquid management layer havinga width inferior or equal to the smaller width W3 of the central portionof the absorbent core may also be provided without negative effect forthe folding of the article.

The following will describe in more details two examples of liquidmanagement layers according to the invention, which may be respectivelyused as an acquisition layer 52 and a distribution layer 54 alone in anarticle (as illustrated in FIG. 4b and FIG. 4c ) or in combination (asillustrated in FIG. 4a ).

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary liquid management layer 54 in isolation. Thislayer may for example primarily function as a distribution layer,although this is not to be considered limiting. The function of adistribution layer is to spread the insulting fluid liquid over a largersurface within the article so that the absorbent capacity of the corecan be more efficiently used. Typically, distribution layers can be madeof a material comprising synthetic or cellulosic fibers and having arelatively low density. The distribution layer material may be anonwoven or a fibrous layer comprising unbound or loosely boundhydrophilic fibers, in particular a layer of cross-linked cellulosicfibers. The density of the distribution layer may vary depending on thecompression of the article, but may typically range from 0.03 to 0.25g/cm³, in particular from 0.05 to 0.15 g/cm³ measured at 0.30 psi (2.07kPa). The distribution layer may also be a material having a waterretention value of from 25 to 60, preferably from 30 to 45, measured asindicated in the procedure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,537.

In a particular example, the liquid management layer 54 may comprise atleast 50% by weight, optionally consisting of 100%, of cross-linkedcellulosic fibers. The cross-linked cellulosic fibers may be crimped,twisted, or curled, or a combination thereof including crimped, twisted,and curled. This type of material has been used in the past indisposable diapers as part of an acquisition system, for example US2008/0312622 A1 (Hundorf), however not in the manner of the invention.The cross-linked cellulosic fibers provide higher resilience andtherefore higher resistance against the compression in the productpackaging or in use conditions, e.g. under baby weight. This providesthe layer with a higher void volume, permeability and liquid absorption,and hence reduced leakage and improved dryness. The liquid managementlayer 54 may also be typically profiled so that more material is presentat the front and middle part of the article relative to the back of thearticle. The distribution layer may typically have an average basisweight of from 30 to 400 g/m², in particular from 100 to 300 g/m², withthe basis weight varying along the length of the article so that morematerial is present at the front and middle of the layer than at theback. The liquid management layer 54 may thus be profiled and/or shapedrounded towards the back of the article, as exemplarily disclosed inWO2014/093323 (Bianchi).

As indicated above, the liquid management layer may generally follow thecontour and construction of the absorbent core over which it isdisposed, although it may also be in general shorter in longitudinaland/or transversal direction. In general, the same features disclosedpreviously for the central portion, side portions and folding guides ofthe core can apply to the liquid management layer. The liquid managementlayer may thus comprise as represented in FIG. 7, a central portion 60′extending longitudinally, but which may be shorter than the centralportion 60 of the core, and two folding guides 261′, 262′. These foldingguides may be made as indicated previously for the folding guides 261,262 of the core, in particular and as illustrated in FIG. 7, they maycomprise areas substantially free of the liquid management material, inthis case substantially free of unbound or loosely bound hydrophilicfibers such as cross-linked cellulosic fibers. The liquid managementlayer's side portions 61′, 62′ may further comprise winglets 610′-617′,620′-627′. Some or all of these winglets may correspond in shape andconfiguration to the winglets 610-617, 620-627, of the absorbent core,although this is not required. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the liquidmanagement layer may in addition to the generally triangular gapsbetween the winglets also comprise straight gap having a constant widthalong their length, which may be described as slits (as illustrated bythe gaps between the winglet pairs 610′-611′, 614′-615′, 615′-616′,616′-617′). These straight slits may provide additional flexibility ofthe liquid management layer while the small distance between thewinglets ensures optimal fluid acquisition and distribution.

In general, the liquid management layer's folding guides, centralportion and side portions may form a three-dimensional basin similar tothe one formed by the core when put on the wearer. The presence of thewinglets in the liquid management layer's side portions can beadvantageous as these may form better fitting side walls forming athree-dimensional basin, however they are not always necessary. Forexample, if the liquid forming layer is formed from a materialsufficiently conformable, such as the loosely bound fibers forming sucha distribution layer 54, winglets in the liquid management layer may notalways be necessary. Each liquid management layer's side portions maythus alternatively have a more simple shape, such as crescent-shaped orsemi-circular, with the proximal the edge parallel to the liquidmanagement layer folding guide and the distal edge straight and parallelto the longitudinal direction, as will be discussed further withreference to FIGS. 11B and 12B.

Such a fibrous distribution layer 54 may for example be made on-line bydepositing the fibers, for example cross-lined cellulosic fibers, on aforming surface having ridges corresponding to the areas where nofibrous material is desired. Deposition chambers are known wherein acarrier sheet is provided on a forming surface having a series of holesconnected to a vacuum, so that the vacuum pulls the fibers in thedesired emplacements to form a desired deposited layer. The formingsurface of these deposition chambers can be modified to provide a layerof fibrous material according to the invention having a central portion,side portions separated by folding guides and optionally winglets. Thefibrous layer is typically formed or transferred on a carrier sheet,that should thus have at least the same dimension as a fibrous liquidmanagement layer. The carrier sheet may be the topsheet, another liquidmanagement layer such as a nonwoven acquisition layer 52, or any otherlayer of the article, for example the core wrap.

FIG. 8 illustrates another example of liquid management layer that canbe used in the present invention. This liquid management layer 52 mayfor example be used as an acquisition layer in the article, and may beused alone or in combination with another liquid management layer suchas a liquid management layer/distribution layer 54. The liquidmanagement layer 52 illustrated in FIG. 8 may be made of a nonwoven webrather than loosely bound fibers as for the layer 54 discussed before.The nonwoven web may be for example provided as a continuous roll ofmaterial that is cut according to the desired length and pattern as itunwound in a converting line.

A “nonwoven web” or “nonwoven” as used herein means a manufacturedsheet, web or batt of directionally or randomly orientated fibers,bonded by friction, and/or cohesion and/or adhesion, excluding paper andproducts which are woven, knitted, tufted, stitch-bonded incorporatingbinding yarns or filaments, or felted by wet-milling, whether or notadditionally needled. The fibers may be of natural or man-made originand may be staple or continuous filaments or be formed in situ.Commercially available fibers have diameters ranging from less thanabout 0.001 mm to more than about 0.2 mm and they come in severaldifferent forms such as short fibers (known as staple, or chopped),continuous single fibers (filaments or monofilaments), untwisted bundlesof continuous filaments (tow), and twisted bundles of continuousfilaments (yarn). Nonwoven webs can be formed by many processes such asmeltblowing, spunbonding, solvent spinning, electrospinning, carding andairlaying. The basis weight of nonwoven webs is usually expressed ingrams per square meter (g/m² or gsm).

The acquisition layer 52 is typically placed directly under thetopsheet, and above a distribution layer if such a layer is present. Theacquisition layer may typically be or comprise a non-woven, for examplea through-air bonded (“TAB”) carded nonwoven, a resin-bonded (“RB”)carded nonwoven, a spunbond or spunlace (hydroentangled) nonwoven. TABcarded nonwovens may for example be made from soft PE/PP bicomponentstaple fibers. The air through bonding process locks in loft andresistance to compression. Resin-bonded carded nonwovens may be madefrom multi-denier polyester staple fibers (for example: 50/50 or 40/60mix of 6 denier and 9 denier fibers). Their resilient and openstructures are designed to provide excellent fluid acquisitionproperties. Such acquisition layers are available directly fromsuppliers, e.g. Fitesa of Simpsonville, S.C., USA or TWE Group GmbH, ofEmsdetten, Germany. The resin used to stabilize the nonwoven layer maytypically be a latex binder, for example a styrene-butadiene latexbinder (SB latex). Processes for obtaining such latexes are known, forexample from EP149,880 (Kwok), US2002/028858 and US2003/0105190 (Diehl).The binder may typically be present in an acquisition layer in excess ofabout 12%, about 14% or about 16% by weight of the layer. A SB latex isfor example commercially available under the trade name GENFLO™ 3160(OMNOVA Solutions Inc.; Akron, Ohio). Latex bonded acquisition layersare for example further disclosed in US2005/033252A1, US2005/033253A1 orUS2005/043694A1 (Schneider). The basis weight of acquisition layers maytypically range from 10 gsm to 200 gsm, in particular 20 gsm to 140 gsm,or 40 gsm to 120 gsm, for example 80 gsm.

The liquid management layer 52 as illustrated on FIG. 8 comprises acentral portion 60″ and side portions 61″, 62″. The side portions 61″,62″ may in turn also comprise winglets 610″-617″, 620″-627″, although itis not excluded that the side portions do not comprise winglets but areeach crescent-shaped or otherwise shaped as indicated previously for theliquid management layer 54. For a liquid management layer formed from anonwoven material, as illustrated on FIG. 8, it may be more practical toform the liquid management layer folding guides 261″, 262″ bycompressing or slitting the nonwoven material according to desiredpattern. This is exemplarily represented on FIG. 8 by the folding guides261″, 262″ which follow the contour of the folding guides of theabsorbent core 28 and are exemplarity formed by intermittently slittingthe layer 52. The winglets may be formed by cutting triangular cut-outsor slitting the side portions in the transversal direction to form gapsbetween the winglets 610″-617″, 620″-627″. These cuttings or slittingoperations may be made online using conventional tools such as slittingtools, embossing tools or cutting tools.

A further acquisition layer (not represented) may be used in addition toa first acquisition layer described above. For example a tissue layermay be placed between the acquisition layer 52 and the distributionlayer 54. The tissue may have enhanced capillarity distributionproperties compared to the acquisition layer described above. The tissueand the first acquisition layer may be of the same size or may be ofdifferent size, for example the tissue layer may extend further in theback of the absorbent article than the first acquisition layer. Anexample of hydrophilic tissue is a 13-15 gsm high wet strength made ofcellulose fibers from supplier Havix.

Topsheet 24

The topsheet may be made according to any topsheet known in the art forabsorbent articles. The topsheet is preferably compliant, soft-feeling,and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. Further, at least a portion ofthe topsheet is liquid permeable, permitting liquids to readilypenetrate through its thickness. A suitable topsheet may be manufacturedfrom a wide range of materials, such as porous foams, reticulated foams,apertured plastic films, or woven or nonwoven materials of naturalfibers (e.g., wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers or filaments(e.g., polyester or polypropylene or bicomponent PE/PP fibers ormixtures thereof), or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers. Ifthe topsheet 24 includes fibers, the fibers may be spunbond, carded,wet-laid, meltblown, hydroentangled, or otherwise processed as is knownin the art, in particular spunbond PP nonwoven. A suitable topsheetcomprising a web of staple-length polypropylene fibers is manufacturedby Veratec, Inc., a Division of International Paper Company, of Walpole,Mass. under the designation P-8. Typical diaper topsheets have a basisweight of from about 10 to about 28 gsm, in particular between fromabout 12 to about 18 gsm but other basis weights are possible.

Suitable formed film topsheets are also described in U.S. Pat. No.3,929,135, U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,246, U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,314, U.S. Pat.No. 4,463,045, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,394. Other suitable topsheets maybe made in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,518 and U.S. Pat. No.4,629,643. Such formed films are available from The Procter & GambleCompany of Cincinnati, Ohio as “DRI-WEAVE” and from TredegarCorporation, based in Richmond, Va., as “CLIFF-T”.

The topsheet may also be treated with a wetting agent to make it morehydrophilic. The wetting agent may be a surfactant as is known in theart. Other possible treatments are for example special coating bynanoparticles, as for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,569, U.S.Pat. No. 6,863,933, US2003/148684 and US2005/008839, (Cramer et al.) andU.S. Pat. No. 7,112,621 (Rohrbaugh et al). Any portion of the topsheetmay also coated with a lotion as is known in the art. Examples ofsuitable lotions include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,760,U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,587, U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,588, U.S. Pat. No.5,968,025 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,441. The topsheet may also include orbe treated with antibacterial agents, some examples of which aredisclosed in WO 95/24173. Further, the topsheet, the backsheet or anyportion of the topsheet or backsheet may be embossed and/or mattefinished to provide a more cloth like appearance.

The topsheet may comprise one or more apertures to ease penetration ofexudates therethrough, such as urine and/or feces (solid, semi-solid, orliquid). The size of at least the primary aperture is important inachieving the desired waste encapsulation performance. If the primaryaperture is too small, the waste may not pass through the aperture,either due to poor alignment of the waste source and the aperturelocation or due to fecal masses having a diameter greater than theaperture. If the aperture is too large, the area of skin that may becontaminated by “rewet” from the article is increased. Typically, thetotal area of the apertures at the surface of a diaper may have an areaof between about 10 cm² and about 50 cm², in particular between about 15cm² and 35 cm². Examples of apertured topsheet are disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 6,632,504. WO 2011/163582 also discloses suitable coloredtopsheet having a basis weight of from 12 to 18 gsm and comprising aplurality of bonded points. Each of the bonded points has a surface areaof from 2 mm² to 5 mm² and the cumulated surface area of the pluralityof bonded points is from 10 to 25% of the total surface area of thetopsheet.

Although not shown in the drawings, it is possible to bond the topsheetdirectly or indirectly to the folding guides of the absorbent core. If aliquid management layer is present between the topsheet and thebacksheet, the topsheet may also be bonded to or through the foldingguide of the liquid management layer. The topsheet may be bonded by anyknown bonding means, typically adhesive bonding, pressure bonding orheat bonding, or a combination of these. Similarly the topsheet may alsobe directly or indirectly bonded to at least some of the areas of thecore wrap corresponding to the gaps between the winglets of theabsorbent core.

Backsheet 25

The backsheet 25 may also be made according to any backsheet known inthe art for absorbent articles. The backsheet is typically impermeableto liquids (e.g. urine) so that it keeps the garment-facing side of thearticle dry. The backsheet may for example be or comprise a thin plasticfilm such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of less than about0.10 mm. Exemplary backsheet films include those manufactured byTredegar Corporation, based in Richmond, Va., and sold under the tradename CPC2 film. Other suitable backsheet materials may includebreathable materials which permit vapors to escape from the articlewhile still preventing exudates from passing through the backsheet. Acovering low basis weight nonwoven may be attached to the externalsurface of the film to provide for a softer touch.

Other Components of the Article

The absorbent articles of the invention can comprise any typicalcomponents known for the intended purpose of the article. FIG. 1 andFIG. 3 show other typical taped diaper components not further discussedherein such as a fastening system comprising fastening tabs 42 attachedtowards the back edge 12 of the article and cooperating with a landingzone 44 placed towards the front edge 10 of the article. These fasteningfeatures are typically absent from pant-type articles which have apre-formed side seam, nevertheless the invention may of course also beused in such pant-types articles. The absorbent article may alsocomprise other typical components, which are not represented in theFigures, such as a back elastic waist feature, a front elastic waistfeature, transverse barrier element across the topsheet, a wetnessindicator between the core and the backsheet that changes appearancewhen contacted with urine, a lotion application on the topsheet, etc.These components are well-known in the art and will not be furtherdiscussed herein. Reference is made to WO2014/093310 where severalexamples of these components are disclosed in more details.

The absorbent articles may typically further comprise components thatimprove the fit of the article around the legs of the wearer, inparticular a pair of barrier leg cuffs 34 and gasketing cuffs 32. Thebarrier leg cuffs 34 may each be formed by a piece of material,typically a nonwoven, that can be partially raised away and thus standup from the plane defined by the topsheet, as shown for example in FIGS.4a-c . The barrier leg cuffs thus comprise a first portion 64 flush withthe topsheet and limited inwardly by a proximal edge 65. This firstportion may be attached to the topsheet and/or backsheet with anintermittent or continuous fusion bond and/or a glue bond. The barrierleg cuffs 34 further comprise a free-standing portion limited by adistal edge 66, which in use fits at the junction of the thighs with thetorso of the wearer, at least in the crotch region 37 of the article.The barrier leg cuffs can provide improved containment of liquids andother body exudates approximately at the junction of the torso and legsof the wearer. Typically, the barrier leg cuffs are formed from aseparate material joined to the rest of the article, in particular tothe topsheet, but it is not excluded that the barrier leg cuffs can beintegral with (i.e. formed from) the topsheet or the backsheet, or anyother layer, for example the bottom layer of the core wrap. Typicallythe material of the barrier leg cuffs may extend through the wholelength of the article but is further bonded to the topsheet towards thefront edge and back edge of the article so that in these sections thebarrier leg cuff material remains flush with the topsheet (tack bondsnot shown in FIG. 1 for readability). Each barrier leg cuff 34 typicallycomprises one, two or more elastic strings 35 close to this freestanding terminal edge 66.

The contractive elastic forces provided at the distal end 66 of thebarrier leg cuffs can help folding the absorbent core and thus theabsorbent article into a basin shape. Thus the elastic strings 35 willnot only cause the barrier leg cuffs to stand up, but they willadvantageously also pull the side portions 61, 62 of the absorbent coreupwards, with these side portions hinging on the folding guides 261,262.When present, the corresponding side portions of a liquid managementlayer 52, 54 will also stand up to form absorbent side walls.

In addition to the barrier leg cuffs 34, the article may typicallycomprise gasketing cuffs 32, which may be present as part of the chassisof the absorbent article. The gasketing cuffs may be at least partiallyenclosed between the topsheet and the backsheet, or the barrier legcuffs and the backsheet. The gasketing cuffs may be placed transversallyoutward relative to the proximal edge 65 of the barrier leg cuffs 34.The gasketing cuffs can provide a better seal around the thighs of thewearer. Usually each gasketing cuff will comprise one or more elasticelement(s) 33 such as elastic strings embedded within the chassis of thediaper, for example between the topsheet and backsheet in the area ofthe leg openings. These elastic elements 33 may, independently or incombination with the elastics 35 of the barrier leg cuffs, help shapingthe absorbent article into a basin shape when put in place on and beingworn by the user.

Various cuff constructions have been disclosed for in the art and may beused in the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003 describes adisposable diaper which provides a contractible leg opening having aside flap and one or more elastic members to provide gasketing cuffs.U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,178 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,803 (Aziz) describedisposable diapers having “stand-up” elasticized flaps (barrier legcuffs) which improve the containment of the leg regions. U.S. Pat. No.4,695,278 (Lawson) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,454 (Dragoo) describedisposable diapers having dual cuffs, including gasketing cuffs andbarrier leg cuffs. More recently, WO2005/105010 (Ashton) discloses adual cuff system made of a continuous cuff material. All or a portion ofthe barrier leg and/or gasketing cuffs may be treated with a lotion.

Although not represented, the article of the invention may furthercomprise other longitudinally-extending elasticized elements as known inthe prior art, in particular elements which may be at least partiallyplaced between the side portions 61, 62 of the absorbent layer and thebacksheet, and whose function is to further help folding the articlealong the folding lines when it is put in place and worn by the user.For example WO2006/068549 (Hansson) discloses having at least twostretchable crotch elastic members in the crotch portion and attached tothe absorbent core and/or one of the topsheet or backsheet, wherein atleast a substantial portion of the crotch elastic members are positionedlaterally outside the respective folding guides. WO95/16418 (Wildlund)discloses having two elastic threads fastened in a stretched state tothe topsheet and extending from the front of the article to the back ofthe article. The threads are mutually convergent.

The combined elastic forces provided by the different elasticizedcomponents of the article may thus bring or facilitate bringing thearticle into a basin shape when the article is placed on a wearer.

More generally, adjacent layers within the article will be joinedtogether using conventional bonding method such as adhesive coating viaslot coating, spiral gluing, or spraying on the whole or part of thesurface of the layer, or thermo-bonding, or pressure bonding orcombinations thereof. Most of the bonding between components is forclarity and readability not represented in the Figure. Bonding betweenthe layers of the article should be considered to be present unlessspecifically excluded. Adhesives may be typically used to improve theadhesion of the different layers. For example, the backsheet and thecore wrap may be glued using a core-to-backsheet gluing pattern asdisclosed in WO2012/170341A1 (Hippe), or a full coverage pattern usingseveral spiral glue applicators. If for example the backsheet isattached by gluing or otherwise to the areas of the core wrapcorresponding to the folding guides (not shown), the folding guides maybecome more visible to the user from the garment-facing side of thearticle. Any typical hotmelt adhesives may be used. It is also possibleto use a printed adhesive layer, for example between the topsheet andabsorbent core or liquid management layer, which may be optionallyvisible through the topsheet, as exemplary disclosed in WO2014/078247.

Further Examples of Absorbent Cores and Liquid Management Layers

FIG. 10a illustrates an absorbent core similar to the one shown in FIG.5 but with a different pattern of gaps separating the winglets. The gapsbetween the winglets still comprise triangular gaps between neighboringwinglets, but in a different arrangement. By changing thesearrangements, the shape of the basin may be modified so as to be moresuitable for the particular need of the wearer. For example, smallerbabies may be spending more time laying on the back or sitting, whilemore developed babies or toddlers may spend more time standing andwalking. This may require a different radius of curvature for the corein the basin configuration. Both configurations shown in FIG. 5 and FIG.10a have similar shape for the folding lines 261, 261, and this designis equally performing for a broad range of wearer. FIG. 10b and FIG. 10cillustrate adapted liquid management layers having winglets matching thewinglets of the core of FIG. 10a , with FIG. 10d showing all threelayers superposed.

Of course, other arrangements for the position of the folding guides andthe side portions may be provided. The shape of the basin may be adaptedto be more suitable for the particular need of a specific type ofwearer. For example, smaller babies may spend more time laying on theback or sitting, while more developed babies or toddlers may spend moretime standing and walking. As indicated previously, althoughadvantageous, the present invention is not limited to absorbent corecomprising winglets in the side portions. FIG. 11a illustrates anabsorbent core without winglets. The side portions may, as shown in FIG.11a , be defined by a distal edge which is a straight line, and aproximal edge which is a curve running parallel to the folding guides261, 262. FIGS. 11b and 11c respectively show two examples of liquidmanagement layers having side portions having a similar shape. Theseliquid management layers may also be used alone or in combination withthe core of FIG. 11a , or any other absorbent core according to theinvention, for example absorbent cores comprising side portions havingwinglets as illustrated in FIG. 5. The folding guides and the differentportions of these liquid management layers may be made as indicatedpreviously. It is in particular considered that while winglets in theliquid management layer may provide a better fit in a three-dimensionalshape, it may be on the other hand easier to make side portions withoutwinglets in the liquid management layers. FIG. 11d shows these threelayers in combination.

FIG. 12a-d show an absorbent core, and liquid management layers, havingside portions defined by two curved edges, thus forming crescent-shapedside portions. The same consideration as previously indicated for FIG.11a-d applies to this example.

Packaging

The absorbent articles may be packaged in any type of conventionalpackaging. The absorbent articles may be in particular compressed whenpackaged to save space. The package may thus comprise a plurality ofbi-folded absorbent articles, wherein the articles in the package havean in-bag stack height (herein “IBSH”) of less than about 80 mm,according to the In-Bag Stack Height Test as described in WO2011/041352(Weisman et al.), incorporated herein by reference. The packagedabsorbent articles may for example have an IBSH of from about 72 mm toabout 80 mm or from about 74 mm to about 78 mm, specifically recitingall 0.5 mm increments within the specified ranges and all ranges formedtherein or thereby, according to the In-Back Stack Height Test.

Many absorbent articles are bi-folded along their transversal centerline90 when packed in their bags. When the articles are highly compressed inthe bag to save space, this may cause a permanent fold line to appearalong the bi-fold line of the articles, depending of the material usedand the storage time of the articles in bag. Thus it is also consideredthat the articles may be packaged under a lower compression to avoidthis issue, for example corresponding to an IBSH above 80 mm, inparticular between 84 mm and 120 mm. The articles may also be packagedtri-folded, as exemplarily disclosed in WO2008/155702 (Hundorf).

The articles may thus also be packaged at a more moderate compressionrate than suggested in some of the prior art, in particular at a In-BagCompression Rate of from 5% to 45%, in particular from 10% to 40%. The“In-Bag Compression Rate” as used herein is one minus the height of astack of 10 folded articles in millimeters, measured while undercompression within a ply-bag (“In-Bag Stack Height”), divided by theheight of a stack of 10 folded articles of the same type beforecompression, multiplied by 100; i.e., (1-in-Bag Stack Height/stackheight before compression)*100, reported as a percentage. The articlesbefore compression may be typically sampled from the production linebetween the folding unit and the stack packing unit. The method used tomeasure the In-Bag Stack Height is described in further details inWO2011/041352 (Weisman) with the Universal Diaper Packaging Testerillustrated in FIG. 19 of WO2008/155702A1 (Hundorf).

Test Procedures

The values indicated herein are measured according to the methodsindicated herein below, unless specified otherwise. All measurements areperformed at 21° C.±2° C. and 50%±20% RH, unless specified otherwise.All samples should be kept at least 24 hours in these conditions toequilibrate before conducting the tests, unless indicated otherwise. Allmeasurements should be reproduced on at least 4 samples and the averagevalue obtained indicated, unless otherwise indicated.

Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC)

The CRC measures the liquid absorbed by the superabsorbent polymerparticles for free swelling in excess liquid. The CRC is measuredaccording to EDANA method WSP 241.2-05.

Urine Permeability Measurement (UPM) Test Method

This method is used to determine the permeability of a swollen hydrogellayer. The results are generally expressed in UPM units equal to 1×10⁻⁷cm³ s/g. The Urine Permeability Measurement Test is disclosed in PCTapplication WO2012/174026A1, incorporated herein by reference.

Thickness Measurement Method

This method is used to measure the thickness of a component of anarticle or of the article (“sample”) itself in a standardized manner.

Equipment: Mitutoyo manual caliper gauge with a resolution of 0.01 mm,or equivalent instrument.

Contact Foot: Flat circular foot with a diameter of 17.0 mm (±0.2 mm). Acircular weight may be applied to the foot (e.g., a weight with a slotto facilitate application around the instrument shaft) to achieve thetarget weight. The total weight of foot and added weight (includingshaft) is selected to provide 4.14 kPa of pressure to the sample.

The caliper gauge is mounted with the lower surface of the contact footin an horizontal plane so that the lower surface of the contact footcontacts the center of the flat horizontal upper surface of a base plateapproximately 20 cm×25 cm. The gauge is set to read zero with thecontact foot resting on the base plate.

Ruler: Calibrated metal ruler graduated in mm.

Stopwatch: Accuracy 1 second.

Sample preparation: The sample is conditioned at least 24 hours asindicated above.

Measurement procedure: The sample is laid flat with the bottom side,i.e. the side intended to be placed away from the wearer facing down.The point of measurement (if not otherwise indicated the middle of thesample) is carefully drawn on the top side of the sample, taking carenot to compress or deform the sample.

The contact foot of the caliper gauge is raised and the sample is placedflat on the base plate of the caliper gauge with the top side of thesample up so that when lowered, the center of the foot is on the markedmeasuring point.

The foot is gently lowered onto the sample and released (ensurecalibration to “0” prior to the start of the measurement). The calipervalue is read to the nearest 0.01 mm, 10 seconds after the foot isreleased.

The procedure is repeated for each sample. Ten samples are measured inthis manner for a given material and the average caliper is calculatedand reported with an accuracy of one tenth mm.

Misc.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood asbeing strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead,unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean boththe recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding thatvalue. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean“about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or relatedpatent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation ofany document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect toany invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in anycombination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests ordiscloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning ordefinition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning ordefinition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, themeaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shallgovern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is thereforeintended to cover in the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that are within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An absorbent article having a wearer-facing sideand a garment-facing side, and extending in a longitudinal direction anda transversal direction, the article comprising: a topsheet on thewearer-facing side; a backsheet on the garment-facing side; an absorbentcore between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent corecomprises an absorbent material layer, the absorbent material layercomprising an absorbent material and further comprising alongitudinally-extending central portion, a first side portion disposedtransversally outward of the central portion and a second side portiondisposed transversally outward of the central portion on another side ofthe central portion; wherein the absorbent core further comprises afirst folding guide dividing the central portion and the first sideportion, and a second folding guide dividing the central portion and thesecond side portion; wherein the central portion and the side portionsform a three-dimensional basin when the absorbent core is folded alongthe folding guides; wherein the absorbent article further comprises: atleast one liquid management layer substantially free of superabsorbentpolymer, the liquid management layer being at least partially disposedbetween the topsheet and the absorbent core; and wherein the liquidmanagement layer comprises a liquid management layer's central portion,a first and second liquid management layer's side portions, and a firstand second liquid management layer's folding guides between the liquidmanagement layer's central portion and the first and second liquidmanagement layer's side portions respectively, and wherein the liquidmanagement layer's folding guides are at least partially superposed withthe folding guides of the absorbent core.
 2. The absorbent article ofclaim 1, wherein the folding guides of the absorbent core aresubstantially free of absorbent material.
 3. The absorbent article ofclaim 1, wherein the absorbent core is substantially free of cellulosefibers.
 4. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the absorbentmaterial consists essentially of superabsorbent polymer particles. 5.The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises acore wrap comprising a top layer and a bottom layer, wherein the toplayer of the core wrap is at least attached to the bottom layer of thecore wrap through the folding guides.
 6. The absorbent article of claim5, further comprising an auxiliary glue between the absorbent layer andat least one of the top layer of the core wrap and the bottom layer ofthe core wrap.
 7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein each sideportion comprises a plurality of winglets, each winglet having aproximal side relative to a folding guide and extending outward fromthis proximal side, and wherein neighboring winglets are separated by agap between their neighboring sides.
 8. The absorbent article of claim7, wherein at least some of the gaps have a generally triangular shape,and when the absorbent core forms a three-dimensional basin, the gapsbetween the winglets decrease.
 9. The absorbent article of claim 8,wherein the neighboring sides of at least two neighboring winglets attheir proximal sides form an angle from about 5° to about 60°.
 10. Theabsorbent article of claim 1 further comprising a longitudinal axis, afront region, a back region and an intermediate crotch region, eachregion measuring a third of the length of the article as measured alongthe longitudinal axis, and wherein the central portion of the absorbentmaterial layer extends longitudinally across the front region, crotchregion and back region of the article, and the first and second sideportions of the absorbent material layer are at least partially withinthe crotch region of the article.
 11. The absorbent article of claim 1further comprising one or more elasticized components, wherein: the oneor more elasticized components are selected from the group of: a pair ofelasticized leg cuffs, each cuff having a proximal edge attached to thetopsheet and a free-standing distal edge; a pair of elasticizedgasketing cuffs placed transversally outward from the absorbent layer;and a longitudinally-extending elasticized element at least partiallyplaced between the side portions of the absorbent layer and thebacksheet; and wherein the one or more elasticized components exert acontraction force on the absorbent core that brings the absorbent coreinto a basin shape along the folding guides when the article is placedon a wearer.
 12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at leastone liquid management layer comprises a plurality of liquid managementlayer's winglets extending outward from an area adjacent the liquidmanagement layer's folding guides.
 13. The absorbent article of claim 1,wherein the at least one liquid management layer is a liquiddistribution layer comprising unbound or loosely bound hydrophilicfibers.
 14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least oneliquid management layer is an acquisition layer comprising a nonwovenmaterial.
 15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the foldingguides of the at least one liquid management layer are formed by atleast one selected from the group of: grooves having a lower basisweight than surrounding areas of the liquid management layer, whereinthe folding guides are areas substantially free of liquid managementlayer material; grooves having a higher degree of compression than thesurrounding areas of the liquid management layer; and slits in theliquid management layer.
 16. The absorbent article of claim 1, whereinthe folding guides of the liquid management layer divide the liquidmanagement layer's central portion from the liquid management layer'sside portions along the entire length of the liquid management layer'sside portions.
 17. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the foldingguides of the absorbent layer and of the liquid management layer have alength as projected on a longitudinal axis which is at least two-tenthsof the length of the central portion of the absorbent core.
 18. Theabsorbent article of claim 17, wherein the length of the folding guidesof the absorbent layer is at least 40 mm as projected on thelongitudinal axis.
 19. A liquid management layer for use in an absorbentarticle, wherein the liquid management layer is substantially free ofsuperabsorbent polymer, and wherein the liquid management layercomprises a liquid management layer's central portion, a first andsecond liquid management layer's side portions, and a first and secondliquid management layer's folding guides between the liquid managementlayer's central portion and the first and second liquid managementlayer's side portions respectively.
 20. The liquid management layer ofclaim 19, wherein each side portion of the liquid management layercomprises a plurality of liquid management layer's winglets extendingoutward from an area adjacent the liquid management layer's foldingguides.